letters to his son, 1751-第7部分

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cept　of　no　expedient；　till　the　utmost　necessity　reduces　you　to　it；　and　even　then；　dispute　the　ground　inch　by　inch；　but　then；　while　you　are　contending　with　the　minister　'fortiter　in　re'；　remember　to　gain　the　man　by　the　'suaviter　in　modo'。　　If　you　engage　his　heart；　you　have　a　fair　chance　for　imposing　upon　his　understanding；　and　determining　his　will。　Tell　him；　in　a　frank；　gallant　manner；　that　your　ministerial　wrangles　do　not　lessen　your　personal　regard　for　his　merit；　but　that；　on　the　contrary；　his　zeal　and　ability　in　the　service　of　his　master；　increase　it；　and　that；　of　all　things；　you　desire　to　make　a　good　friend　of　so　good　a　servant。　By　these　means　you　may；　and　will　very　often　be　a　gainer：　you　never　can　be　a　loser。　　Some　people　cannot　gain　upon　themselves　to　be　easy　and　civil　to　those　who　are　either　their　rivals；　competitors；　or　opposers；　though；　independently　of　those　accidental　circumstances；　they　would　like　and　esteem　them。　　They　betray　a　shyness　and　an　awkwardness　in　company　with　them；　and　catch　at　any　little　thing　to　expose　them；　and　so；　from　temporary　and　only　occasional　opponents；　make　them　their　personal　enemies。　　This　is　exceedingly　weak　and　detrimental；　as　indeed　is　all　humor　in　business；　which　can　only　be　carried　on　successfully　by；　unadulterated　good　policy　and　right　reasoning。　　In　such　situations　I　would　be　more　particularly　and　'noblement'；　civil；　easy；　and　frank　with　the　man　whose　designs　I　traversed：　this　is　commonly　called　generosity　and　magnanimity；　but　is；　in　truth；　good　sense　and　policy。　　The　manner　is　often　as　important　as　the　matter；　sometimes　more　so；　a　favor　may　make　an　enemy；　and　an　injury　may　make　a　friend；　according　to　the　different　manner　in　which　they　are　severally　done。　　The　countenance；　the　address；　the　words；　the　enunciation；　the　Graces；　add　great　efficacy　to　the　'suaviter　in　modo'；　and　great　dignity　to　the　'fortiter　in　re'；　and　consequently　they　deserve　the　utmost　attention。

From　what　has　been　said；　I　conclude　with　this　observation；　that　gentleness　of　manners；　with　firmness　of　mind；　is　a　short；　but　full　description　of　human　perfection　on　this　side　of　religious　and　moral　duties。　　That　you　may　be　seriously　convinced　of　this　truth；　and　show　it　in　your　life　and　conversation；　is　the　most　sincere　and　ardent　wish　of；　Yours。




LETTER　CXXXIV

LONDON；　March　11；　O。　S。　　1751。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　I　received　by　the　last　post　a　letter　from　Abbe　Guasco；　in　which　he　joins　his　representations　to　those　of　Lord　Albemarle；　against　your　remaining　any　longer　in　your　very　bad　lodgings　at　the　Academy；　and；　as　I　do　not　find　that　any　advantage　can　arise　to　you　from　being　'interne'　in　an　academy　which　is　full　as　far　from　the　riding…house　and　from　all　your　other　masters；　as　your　lodgings　will　probably　be；　I　agree　to　your　removing　to　an　'hotel　garni'；　the　Abbe　will　help　you　to　find　one；　as　I　desire　him　by　the　inclosed；　which　you　will　give　him。　　I　must；　however；　annex　one　condition　to　your　going　into　private　lodgings；　which　is　an　absolute　exclusion　of　English　breakfasts　and　suppers　at　them；　the　former　consume　the　whole　morning；　and　the　latter　employ　the　evenings　very　ill；　in　senseless　toasting　a　l'Angloise　in　their　infernal　claret。　　You　will　be　sure　to　go　to　the　riding…house　as　often　as　possible；　that　is；　whenever　your　new　business　at　Lord　Albemarle's　does　not　hinder　you。　　But；　at　all　events；　I　insist　upon　your　never　missing　Marcel；　who　is　at　present　of　more　consequence　to　you　than　all　the　bureaux　in　Europe；　for　this　is　the　time　for　you　to　acquire　'tous　ces　petits　riens'；　which；　though　in　an　arithmetical　account；　added　to　one　another　'ad　infinitum'；　they　would　amount　to　nothing；　in　the　account　of　the　world　amount　to　a　great　and　important　sum。　　'Les　agremens　et　les　graces'；　without　which　you　will　never　be　anything；　are　absolutely　made　up　of　all　those　'riens'；　which　are　more　easily　felt　than　described。　　By　the　way；　you　may　take　your　lodgings　for　one　whole　year　certain；　by　which　means　you　may　get　them　much　cheaper；　for　though　I　intend　to　see　you　here　in　less　than　a　year；　it　will　be　but　for　a　little　time；　and　you　will　return　to　Paris　again；　where　I　intend　you　shall　stay　till　the　end　of　April　twelvemonth；　1752；　at　which　time；　provided　you　have　got　all　'la　politesse；　les　manieres；　les　attentions；　et　les　graces　du　beau　monde'；　I　shall　place　you　in　some　business　suitable　to　your　destination。

I　have　received；　at　last；　your　present　of　the　cartoon；　from　Dominichino；　by　Planchet。　　It　is　very　finely　done；　it　is　pity　that　he　did　not　take　in　all　the　figures　of　the　original。　　I　will　hang　it　up；　where　it　shall　be　your　own　again　some　time　or　other。

Mr。　Harte　is　returned　in　perfect　health　from　Cornwall；　and　has　taken　possession　of　his　prebendal　house　at　Windsor；　which　is　a　very　pretty　one。　As　I　dare　say　you　will　always　feel；　I　hope　you　will　always　express；　the　strongest　sentiments　of　gratitude　and　friendship　for　him。　　Write　to　him　frequently；　and　attend　to　the　letters　you　receive　from　him。　　He　shall　be　with　us　at　Blackheath；　alias　BABIOLE；　all　the　time　that　I　propose　you　shall　be　there；　which　I　believe　will　be　the　month　of　August　next。

Having　thus　mentioned　to　you　the　probable　time　of　our　meeting；　I　will　prepare　you　a　little　for　it。　　Hatred；　jealousy；　or　envy；　make；　most　people　attentive　to　discover　the　least　defects　of　those　they　do　not　love；　they　rejoice　at　every　new　discovery　they　make　of　that　kind；　and　take　care　to　publish　it。　　I　thank　God；　I　do　not　know　what　those　three　ungenerous　passions　are；　having　never　felt　them　in　my　own　breast；　but　love　has　just　the　same　effect　upon　me；　except　that　I　conceal；　instead　of　publishing；　the　defeats　which　my　attention　makes　me　discover　in　those　I　love。　　I　curiously　pry　into　them；　I　analyze　them；　and；　wishing　either　to　find　them　perfect；　or　to　make　them　so；　nothing　escapes　me；　and　I　soon　discover　every　the　least　gradation　toward　or　from　that　perfection。　　You　must　therefore　expect　the　most　critical　'examen'　that　ever　anybody　underwent。　I　shall　discover　your　least；　as　well　as　your　greatest　defects；　and　I　shall　very　freely　tell　you　of　them；　'Non　quod　odio　habeam　sed　quod　amem'。　But　I　shall　tell　them　you　'tete…a…tete'；　and　as　MICIO　not　as　DEMEA；　and　I　will　tell　them　to　nobody　else。　　I　think　it　but　fair　to　inform　you　beforehand；　where　I　suspect　that　my　criticisms　are　likely　to　fall；　and　that　is　more　upon　the　outward；　than　upon　the　inward　man；　I　neither　suspect　your　heart　nor　your　head；　but　to　be　plain　with　you；　I　have　a　strange　distrust　of　your　air；　your　address；　your　manners；　your　'tournure'；　and　particularly　of　your　ENUNCIATION　and　elegance　of　style。　These　will　be　all　put　to　the　trial；　for　while　you　are　with　me；　you　must　do　the　honors　of　my　house　and　table；　the　least　inaccuracy　or　inelegance　will　not　escape　me；　as　you　will　find　by　a　LOOK　at　the　time；　and　by　a　remonstrance　afterward　when　we　are　alone。　　You　will　see　a　great　deal　of　company　of　all　sorts　at　BABIOLE；　and　particularly　foreigners。　　Make；　therefore；　in　the　meantime；　all　these　exterior　and　ornamental　qualifications　your　peculiar　care；　and　disappoint　all　my　imaginary　schemes　of　criticism。　　Some　authors　have　criticised　their　own　works　first；　in　hopes　of　hindering　others　from　doing　it　afterward：　but　then　they　do　it　themselves　with　so　much　tenderness　and　partiality　for　their　own　production；　that　not　only　the　production　itself；　but　the　preventive　criticism　is　criticised。　　I　am　not　one　of　those　authors；　but；　on　the　contrary；　my　severity　increases　with　my　fondness　for　my　work；　and　if　you　will　but　effectually　correct　all　the　faults　I　shall　find；　I　will　insure　you　from　all　subsequent　criticisms　from　other　quarters。

Are　you　got　a　little　into　the　interior；　into　the　constitution　of　things　at　Paris？　　Have　you　seen　what　you　have　seen　thoroughly？　　For；　by　the　way；　few　people　see　what　they　see；　or　hear　what　they　hear。　　For　example；　if　you　go　to　les　Invalides；　do　you　content　yourself　with　seeing　the　building；　the　hall　where　three　or　four　hundred　cripples　dine；　and　the　galleries　where　they　lie？　or　do　you　inform　yourself　of　the　numbers；　the　conditions　of　their　admission；　their　allowance；　the　value　and　nature　of　the　fund　by　which　the　whole　is　supported？　　This　latter　I　call　seeing；　the　former　is　only　starting。　　Many　people　take　the　opportunity　of　'les　vacances'；　to　go　and　see　the；　empty　rooms　where　the　several　chambers　of　the　parliament　did　sit；　which　rooms　are　exceedingly　like　all　other　large　rooms；　when　you　go　there；　let　it　be　when　they　are　full；　see　and　hear　what　is　doing　in　them；　learn　their　respective　constitutions；　jurisdictions；　objects；　and　methods　of　proceeding；　hear　some　causes　tried　in　every　one　of　the　different　chambers；　'Approfondissez　les　choses'。

I　am　glad　to　hear　that　you　are　so　well　at　Marquis　de　St。　Germain's；　＇At　that　time　Ambassador　from　the　King　of　Sardinia　at　the　Court　of　France。＇　of　whom　I　hear　a　very　good　character。　　How　are　you　with　the　other　foreign　ministers　at　Paris？　　Do　you　frequent　the　Dutch　Ambassador　or　Ambassadress？　　Have　you　any　footing　at　the　Nuncio's；　or　at　the　Imperial　and　Spanish　ambassadors？　　It　is　useful。　　Be　more　particular　in　your　letters　to　me；　as　to　your　manner　of　passing　your　time；　and　the　company　you　keep。　　Where　do　you　dine　and　sup　oftenest？　whose　house　is　most　your　home？　　Adieu。　　'Les　Graces；　les　Graces'。




LETTER　CXXXV

LONDON；　March　18；　O。　S。　　1751。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　acquainted　you　in　a　former　letter；　that　I　had　brought　a　bill　into　the　House　of　Lords　for　correcting　and　reforming　our　present　calendar；　which　is　the　Julian；　and　for　adopting　the　Gregorian。　　I　will　now　give　you　a　more　particular　account　of　that　affair；　from　which　reflections　will　naturally　occur　to　you　that　I　hope　may　be　useful；　and　which　I　fear　you　have　not　made。　　It　was　notorious；　that　the　Julian　calendar　was　erroneous；　and　had　overcharged　the　solar　year　with　eleven　days。　　Pope　Gregory　the　Thirteenth　corrected　this　error；　his　reformed　calendar　was　immediately　received　by　all　the　Catholic　powers　of　Europe；　and　afterward　adopted　by　all　the　Protestant　ones；　except　Russia；　Sweden；　and　England。　　It　was　not；　in　my　opinion；　very　honorable　for　England　to　remain；　in　a　gross　and　avowed　error；　especially　in　such　company；　the　inconveniency　of　it　was　likewise　felt　by　all　those　who　had　foreign　correspondences；　whether　political　or　mercantile。　　I　deter